Browsing Deacon Mark Ebben articles

Do Our Possessions Possess Us? - August 4, 2019

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke speaks about how we can get carried away with our possessions. Jesus indicates that anyone “who stores up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God” is foolish (Luke 12:21). What does it mean to be “rich toward God?” When we view our possessions and even our lives as a pure and undeserved gift from God we are much better disposed to be generous to others. When we feel that wealth is only ours to possess, we are deluding ourselves.

I do not know about you but I like my “stuff,” and I bet you like yours, too. That is why we have all these possessions; these comforts make lives easier. Our “things” please us and can define us to other people.  Possessions can also remind us of people we know and places we have visited.  Sometimes our “stuff” makes life entertaining and other times these things make life more complicated. We gather things because we want them and then it becomes difficult to let things go. I will be the first to admit this.

Yet, there are seasons in our lives when stuff becomes a burden. Let’s look at moving day! These past three months, I have helped in five separate moves and I have one more move to go in two weeks. I surely wish for fewer boxes, less furniture and fewer wires to re-hook up after the move.  I keep talking about getting rid of all my clutter, but it is so hard to do!

When money is tight, space is limited or downsizing is necessary, the things that were once great to own become trials to dispossess. We cannot bring all we own through the “eye of heaven’s needle.” 

Why am I bringing this up? The powerful storm we had two weeks ago sent a large tree through my storage shed. I think God is telling me it is a good idea to put my camel on a diet so I may fit through the “eye of a needle” someday.

Deacon Mark

 

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